Working with a dedicated medical team that serves the health needs of others is a rewarding career you might be considering. But figuring out exactly where you fit in that environment may leave you with a great big question mark.

Front office, back office…or some of each? We can help you decide.

To start things off, take a good look at yourself. To be a part of any medical care team – clinical or administrative – one thing is essential: Good communication skills.

Most positions within a medical facility work with patients on some level. That means you will need to be sensitive, aware and responsive to the needs and feelings of others, as they deal with medical issues large and small. Customer service is never more important than during this interaction.

There are two main areas of service in the medical community: clinical and administrative. San Joaquin Valley College has programs that provide entry into each of these areas, at different levels.

<strong>Medical Assistant: Clinical or “Back Office”</strong>
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	<li>SJVC’s Clinical Medical Assisting (CMA) 7-month Certificate program provides students with the basic training required to work in a medical office. Emphasis is placed on clinical or back office education and training in preparation for direct patient care.</li>
	<li>In SJVC’s 14-month Clinical and Administrative Medical Assisting program (CAMA), students learn advanced training in medical office procedures, as well as in-depth front office procedures, while they earn an Associate of Science (A.S.) Degree. This extended program offers students greater versatility and flexibility in both front- and back-office knowledge and skills.</li>
</ol>
<strong>Medical Office: Administrative or “Front Office”</strong>
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	<li>SJVC’s 7-month, Certificate-level Medical Office Administration (MOA) program offers required training for an administrative support position in the front office of a medical facility.</li>
	<li>The 14-month Medical Billing Specialist (MBS) A.S. degree-granting program offers additional clinical classes in addition to advanced training in medical billing, coding and office management.</li>
</ol>
The chart below will give you a closer look at specific information regarding program courses, outcomes and potential career positions for each of the medical programs:
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<th>Medical Assisting</th>
<th>Medical Office</th>
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<td>Program Content</td>
<td>Lectures and labs emphasize hands-on learning techniques and include:
-Patient care
-Medical office procedures
-Laboratory skills
-Medical administrative practices
*CAMA-specific training</td>
<td>Students enrolled in Medical Office programs learn:
-Medical insurance principles
-Medical office operations
-Human relations
-Medical law and regulations</td>
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<td>Career Preparation</td>
<td>Job duties graduates can expect to perform include:
-Take medical histories &amp; vital signs
-Assist the physician with procedures
-Clean &amp; sterilize equipment
-Perform office accounting, bookkeeping &amp; billing*
-Prepare insurance claims*
*CAMA-specific training</td>
<td>Medical Office administrators might perform many of the following job duties:
-Process patient insurance claims
-Assign ICD-9 &amp; CPT codes to claims
-Perform general bookkeeping
-Schedule patient appointments
-Manage medical records
-Answer patient insurance questions</td>
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<td>Program Outcomes</td>
<td>CMA graduates who earn their Certificates are eligible to sit for the California Certified Medical Assistant exam, offered by the California Certifying Board for Medical Assistants.Online campus CMA graduates can sit for the National Certified Medical Assistant exam, offered by the National Center for Competency Testing.

CAMA graduates can sit for the Registered Medical Assistant exam offered by American Medical Technologists.

All CMA and CAMA graduates also earn Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Certification, CPR and First Aid Certification.</td>
<td>An externship component allows students to gain hands-on experience under the direction of a medical office manager or director.Graduates are eligible to take several national certification and credentialing examinations administered by the National Center for Competency Testing.

Graduates also earn Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), AHA-Adult &amp; Infant CPR, and First Aid Certification.</td>
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<td>Careers</td>
<td>SJVC’s CMA and CAMA graduates can go straight to work as Medical Assistants in environments such as hospitals, doctors’ offices, medical clinics and more.</td>
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